Collapsible cellular carton



I K. T. BUTTER-Y COLLAPSIBLE CELLULAR CARTON Filed June 27, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR //677/76 2% 7 6/1922 I BY 8 Jaw 4M Aug. 14, 1945. K. T. BUTTERY 2,382,202

COLLAPSIBLE CELLULAR CARTON Filed June 27, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 L i {ii 9 fiw d V I 4 1: 1 1/ M /0 J/ M J 7. g 1/ T K. T. BUTTERY 2,382,202

GOLLAPSIBLE CELLULAR CARTON Filed June 27, 1942 .AEEkLNQiZ 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

8:12 V-MMM I illustrated in the accompanying Patented A113. 14, 1945 Kenneth If. ButtermKalamaloo, Mich, anignor to Sutherland Paper Company, Kalamazoo, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application June 27, 1942, Serial No. stares rows are in closed. position without the necessity diliaims.

The main objects of this invention are: First. to provide a collapsible egg carton or cellular carton which may be formed of an integral blank by machinery in the knockdown or in collapsed condition and readily set up for use by machinery. i

Second, to provide a carton having these advantages which may be readily severed for sales of one-half the contents of the carton while the covers are closed, the dividing or severing being accomplished by fracturing the adhesive bond or connection between the longitudinal partition members. 4

-0bjects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out inthe claims.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completely set up carton embodying the features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view with one of the coversopen and the other closed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section on line B-lof Figs. land 5.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of one of the rows 02 cells after the parallel rows have been severed; I

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3 showing the retaining engagement of the cover closure member.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal horizontal section on line 6-5 of Fig. 7 showing the relation of the partition members to the associated parts prior to the erecting of the partition members.

Fig. '2 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinalsection on line 1-1 of Fig. 6 showing the transverse partition members in collapsed position by full lines and inerected position by dotted lines.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view in vertical section of the collapsed carton as it is discharged from the sealing machine.

.Fig. 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the carton transversely sectioned showing an initial step in the'setting up of the carton.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary plan view of the blank L from which the carton is formed, a portion of the blank being fractured and rolled back to disclose an adhesive area thereof.

'The embodiment of my invention illustrated is designed to receive one dozen eggs arranged in two rows of cells and to permit the severing of the cells while the covers for the individual :5 sides of the side walls of additional cell closures, the severed sections being strong and rigid and well adapted to protest the contents.

My improved carton comprises side walls I, i spaced apart in the blank, these side walls having covers 3, 2 hingedly connected thereto at I. the covers'having closure flaps ll hingedly connected thereto at b, these closure flaps ha retaining tongues t.

-Bottom members i are hingedly; connected to thebottomedsesofthesidewalls I at8. These bottom members have longitudinally spaced transverse slots 9 therein, there being seven of these slots.

Ironisitudinal partition members it are hinged,

ly connected to the inner edges 6f the bottom members i at it.

The top members It are hingedly Joined to go the upper edges of the longitudinal members and are provided with sealins strips it at their outer' edges, adhesive b'eingindicated -at-M, these sealing strips being hingedly joined to the top members It and adhesively secured to the inner as clearly shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

The longitudinal partition members are adbesivelysecuredtoeachotherinsidebyside relation, the'adhesive being indicated at It, see

.The top members are slitted and scored to provide transverse partition members It and hinge connections I'Ilto the upperedges oi the longitudinal partition membersand to thesealins 85 strips. The and members I! constitute end re-- The and partition members are preferably provided with diagonal scores or flexing lines It which, owing tothe fact that these partition to members have parallel edge portions, cause a 43 fracturable connection so that in setting upthe' W dsins frictional engagement with the inclined side walls.v The sealing flaps II are connec by areadily fracturable connection !9.

In sealing, the blank is folded on this readily carton from the position shown in Fig. 8 which, as stated, is the form in which the carton issues -'f rom the machine, it is only necessary to pull outwardly h -two side walls as indicated in Fla. 9.

when the carton walls are swungto erected position as shown in Has. 8 and '7, the transyerse partitions and end walls lie in the horisontal position as shown by full lines in Figs. 6

and 7'. 'lhese transverse and end walls are all designed to be swung in one direction to bring them ,to erected position with their lower ends in engagement with the slots 9 in the bottom members and this operation can be easily performed by a simple machine or erecting device, erecting all of the transverse partitions and end walls simultaneously. When the transverse partitions and end walls are erected, the structure is very rigid-that is, it effectively resists collapsing stresses.

After the carton is filled, the covers are enclosed by engaging the closure retaining tongues with the hinge connections for the transverse partition members to the longitudinal partition members, as is clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 5. When thus engaged, the two longitudinal rows of cells may be readily severed by fracturing the connection between the longitudinal partition members and this may be done without opening the covers and the two resulting sixcell cartons are sufliciently strong and rigid to efiectively protect the contents without the additions of any cell walls or parts. i As stated, the carton of my invention may be produced entirely by machinery--that is, so far as forming and manipulation of the blank is concerned to produce the collapsedcompleted structure shown in Fig. 8 and the collapsed structure may be quickly and easily set up as has been described.

I have illustrated and described my invention as I have embodied the same-in egg cartons. It is, however, desirable for use. in other containers where cell packing is desired, but it is believed that this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to embody or adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secur y Letters Patent, is:

bers may be swung to erected position with their lower ends engaged in said slots in said bottom members and constitute section support members when the longitudinal partition members are ,severed by fracturing the bond between them,

both said cover members being provided with closure flaps engageable on the outer side of the adjacent longitudinal partition memberxwith the hinge member connections for the transverse partition members thereto, thereby providing two longitudinal rows of cells separable while the closure flaps are so engaged, said several parts being formed of an integral blank with the side walls, bottom walls, longitudinal partition members, top members, and sealing flaps arranged in reversed relation in the blank and with the sealing flaps side by side in the blank and joined by readily fracturable connections whereby such connections serve to hold the structure in flat collapsed position while permitting the ready erecting thereof.

2. A collapsible cellular carton comprising side walls, bottom members hingedly joined to the lower edges of the side walls and having a series of longitudinally spaced transverse slots therein, longitudinal partition members hingedly joined to the inner edges of said bottom members and partition members and having sealing flaps sewith the upper portions of said longitudinal parl. A collapsible cellular carton comprising side walls each having a cover. member hingedly joined to its outer edge, bottom members hingedly joined to the lower edges of the side walls and having a series of longitudinally spaced transverse slots therein, longitudinal partition members hingedly joined to the inner edges of said bottom members and adhesively secured together in side by side relation, the height of 'said longitudinal partition members being substantially less than the height of said side walls, and top members hingedly joined to the upper edges of said longitudinal partition members and having sealing flaps secured to the inner sides of said sidewalls, said top members constituting cross members connecting the upper portions of saidside walls with the upper portions of said longitudinal partition members and being of a width substantially exceeding the width of the bottom members, said connected side walls, longitudinal partition membersand top and bottom members coacting'when v the carton is erected to support the side walls and longitudinal partition members in an upwardly diverging relation with V the lwer edges of .the longitudinal partition .mem ers in a plane substantially above the lower whereby said transverse partition and end memtition members and being of a width substantially exceeding the-width of the bottom members, said connected side walls, longitudinal partition members and top and bottom members coacting whenthe carton is erected to support the side walls and longitudinal partition members in an upwardly diverging relation with the lower edges of the longitudinal partition members in a plane substantially above the lower edges of the side walls and with the bottom members above the plane of the lower edgesof the side walls and in an outwardly inclined arched relation to each other, said top members being slitted and scored to provide a plurality of trans? verse partition and end walls and hinged connections therefor to the longitudinal partition members and to said sealing flaps whereby said transverse partition and end members may be swung to erected position with their lower ends engaged in said slots in said bottom members and constitute section support members when the longitudinal partition members are severed by fracturing the bond between them, said several parts being formed of an integral blank with the side walls, bottom walls, longitudinal partition members, top members, and sealing flaps arranged in reversed relation in the blank and with the sealing flaps side by side in the blank and joined by readily fracturable connections whereby such connections serve to hold the structure in flat collapsed position while peradhesively secured together in sideby side relation, the height of said longitudinal partition members beingsubstantially less than the height of said side walls, and top members hingedly joined to the upper edges of said longitudinal partition members and having sealing flaps secured to the inner sides of said side walls, said top members constituting cross members connecting the upper portions of said side walls with the upper portions of said longitudinal partition members and being of a width substantially exceeding the width of the bottom members, said connected side walls, longitudinal partition members and top and bottom members coasting when the carton is erected to support the longitudinal partition members with their'lower edges in a plane above the lower edges of the side walls and the bottom members in an outwardly in-' able between-said side walls and longitudinal partition members, both said'cover members being provided with closure flaps engageable on the outer side of the'adiacent longitudinal 'partition member with the hinge member connections for the transverse partition members thereto, thereby providing two longitudinal rows of cells separable while the closure flaps are so .said longitudinal partition members being sub-'- stantialLv less than the height of said side walls,

and top members hingedly joined to the upper edges of said longitudinal partition members and having sealing flaps secured to the inner sides oi said side walls, said top members constituting cross members connecting the upper portions oi said side walls with the upper portions oi said engaged, said several parts being formed of an 1 connections whereby such connections serve to hold the structure in flat collapsed position while permitting the ready erecting thereof.

, erecting thereof.

longitudinal partition members and being oi a width substantially exceeding the width of the bottom members, said connected side walls, longitudinal partition members and top and bottom members enacting when the carton is. erected to support the longitudinal partition members with their lower edges in a plane above the lower edges of the side walls and the bottom members in an outwardly inclined arched relation to each other and above the plane of the lower edges of the side walls, said top members beingslitted and scored to provide a plurality of transverse partitions erectable between said side walls and longitudinal partition members, said several parts being formed of an integral blank with the side walls, bottom walls, longitudinal partition members, top members, and sealing flaps arranged in reversed relation in: the blank and with the sealing flaps side, by side in the blank and Joined by readily fracturable connections whereby such connections serve to hold the structure in list collapsed position while permitting the ready xmmnm '1'; summit. 

